Washing-machine



www; m//fg Y -UTHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D. C.

y Unire STATs BATnNT Thron.,

JOSEPH S. GODFREY, E. J. GODFREY, AND RUSSELL GODFREY, OF LESLIE,MICHIGAN.

WASHING-MACHINE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 52160, dated January23, 1866.

To all whom it may concern: y

Be it known that we, JOSEPH S. GODFREY, EMMoNs J. GODFREY, and RUSSELLGoD- FREY, all of Leslie, in the county of Ingham and State of Michigan,have invented a new and Improved Vashing-WIachine; and we do herebydeclare that the following is a full, clear, and exact descriptionthereof', reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making apart of this specitication, in which- Figure l is a longitudinal sectiontaken in a vertical plane through the center of our improved machine.Fig. 2 is a similar view, showing the position ofthe rubbers when theyare in the act of squeezing articles between them. Fig. 3 is a top viewof the washingmachine. Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-section through themachine,looking toward the daslr ers.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the severalfigures.

This invention consists in so constructing a washing-machine havingreciprocating rubbers that alternately approach and recede from eachother that the articles which are being washed will receive from saidrubbers a beating', rubbing, and rolling action, and thus be caused topresent new surfaces constantly to the rubbing-slats, as will behereinafter described.

To enable others skilled in the art to understand our invention, we willdescribe its construction and operation.

In the accompanying drawings, A represents an oblong` rectangular box orwash-tub, which is mounted upon legs, so that one end of this tub willbe somewhat lower than the other end. Near the highest end of this tubis a transverse shaft, B, which is rotated by means of a largespur-wheel, B', and a pinion, B2, placed on one side ot' the tuboutside. The shaft B has a two-throw crank formed on it, as shown inFig. 3 at a a. The crank a communicates arectilinearreciprocatingmovement to the rubber C, and the crank a gives a reciprocating movementto the rubber D through the medium of two pitman-rods, O D. rlhe rubberO slides upon the bottom of the tub, and it is constructed ot' twostepped side boards having slats or bars b b extending transiferseLyTacross from one board to the other, as shown in Figs. l and 3. -Theforward or acting surfaces of these bars are rounded, for a purposewhich will be hereinafter eX- plained.

The rubber D consists of two stepped side boards, havingthe stepsinverted so as to overhang the steps of the rubber C when these tworubbers approach each other. This overhanging stepped rubber D alsoslides upon the bottoni of the wash-tub, and it is also furnished withslats or barsc c, which are arranged parallel to the slats b b ot'rubber C, but in a plane which is slightly above these latter slats.rIhe two arms c c of the rubber D are pivoted at their ends to vibratinghangers d d, which are connected to the inside of the side boards ofthetub, as shown in Figs. 1,2, 3, and 4, which arms communicate anup-anddown movement to the rubber D at the same time that it receives aback-and-forward movement. These arms are intended to force the slats otthe rubber D downward upon the slats of t-he rubber O when these tworubbers come together. Now, in order to prevent the rubber D from risingtwo high when acting upon the articles which are placed in the tub to bewashed, we arrange guides or holdingdown strips g g over the side boardsof said rubber, against which strips the upper part of the rubberpresses while acting upon the articles. Then the rubbers recede fromeach other the rubber D descends again and moves upon the bottom of thetub, as shown in Fio. l. YV hen the two rubbers approach each other witharticles to be cleansed` between them the rubberD will gradually riseinconsequence ot' its more elevated slats c c acting upon the slats b b ofthe rubber C, and in this way the slats of the rubber D will be causedto glide over those ot' the rubber C, and to rub and turn the articleswhich are between them. As the rubber D is thus caused to rise it willbe brought in contact with the strips g g, and at the termination ofthestroke the articles will be subjected to a squeezing action. During thereceding strokes of the rubbers the articles which are between them willbe released and left free to absorb water.

Having thus, described our invention, what we claim as new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is

l. Constructing' the reciprocating` rubbers C and D with stepped slattedsurfaces, tbe slats of which are so arranged that they shall rub7squeeze, and roll the articles between them, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the rubber C with a rubber,D,Whicl1 receives abaclnvard-and-'or- Ward movement, and also a risingend-falling movement,and which is held down at the proper time to squeeze the articles bymeans of the strips g g, substantially as described.

3. The combination of two reciprocating' stepped rubbers, C and D, withthe swinging supports d d and the holding-down strips gg, all arrangedto operate substantially as described.

4c. Arranging the slats ot the rubber D in planes which are above theslats of the rubber C, in combination with the holding-down strips g g,substantially as described.

JUSEPH S. GODFREY. EMMONS J GODFREY. RUSSELL GODFREY. Witnesses:

MARY C. GOVERT, PERNULIA WELLMAN.

